Is my battery dead

[lorger]

Went into the van yesterday and there was an alarm going off for my ALDE heating, it wasn’t switched on so thinking low battery. Anyway reset and all looked ok, had a look tonight and same alarm is up, again reset and decided to check battery, it was showing 12.4 on panel and Victron app. I thought battery must be okay then all of a sudden ALDE panel shows low battery alarm and battery is reading 9.4v.

I’ve checked the history as you can see below, first shows the last few days and you can see battery goes to 2.5v not on hook up

This photo shows it plugged in a few days ago

Final one shows without EHU about 3 weeks ago

 

[TerryL]

Only way to properly check a battery is direct to the terminals, preferably disconnected. First thoughts, check all the battery connections as that looks more like an intermittent fault.
There'll be someone along shortly to provide more expertise.

 

[DavidG58]

I’m no expert Gerry, but have had two battery failures in our 9 years ownership of this MH

In both cases one of the two leisure batteries had failed but that effectively takes the whole system down

The second issue was confirmed while we were having work done at Vanbitz on our way to France, they disconnected and removed the failed battery and we went a year on just one battery . One did us fine for 12 months, certainly much better than one good and one dodgy one

If you can disconnect your batteries from each other (presuming you have more than one) and any charge check the voltage on each, ours became obvious one over 13V other under 12V combined just over 12V without load, under 10V with load

 

[lorger]

I’m borrowing a meter from one of the control guys at work and will check the battery this weekend.

 

[Lenny HB]

Looking at the figures when on EHU the batteries are never getting fully charged.
I would say a duff battery.

Check to make sure the batteries are not getting hot when charging. If they are disconnect immediately, you don't want an exploding battery makes a hell of a mess.

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[Raul]

Looking at it falling of the cliff suddenly, indicates one element went south. If you disconnect the battery and reading under 10,5v then it’s a boat anchor, you can’t bring back dead.

 

[lorger]

Just had a chat with the control guy and work and he's thinking is along the same lines as you guys, he's gave me a multi meter to check the battery. Am I correct in thinking I should cover my solar panel before disconnecting the battery just in case the terminals touch.

 

[cyberyacht]

You should isolate your panels from the solar controller before disconnecting batteries. An isolator switch in the circuit saves clambering on the roof plus covering the panels is never 100% effective. There's always residual voltage.

 

[Raul]

If you don’t have a solar panel isolator, take negative solar cable out of the controller and put tape on it while you change the battery. After you got it in, wait 1min for the controller to boot up and recognise a 12v system, then re connect the solar.

 

[lorger]

If you don’t have a solar panel isolator, take negative solar cable out of the controller and put tape on it while you change the battery. After you got it in, wait 1min for the controller to boot up and recognise a 12v system, then re connect the solar.

I'll have a look tonight when home, the solar was fitted by eddievanbitz so if I have any issues located the isolator if fitted I will give them a call as they're always keen to help.

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[autorouter]

The first thing to do is confirm the readings at the actual battery terminals, with a multimeter. Could be a bad connection somewhere along the wires, or a blown fuse. If you get the same readings of 2.5V at the battery terminals, then most likely the battery is dead, but if the battery is OK (11V to 14 V) I think a bad connection/fuse is more likely.
Edit: sorry, wrote this last night and didn't press 'Post'

 

[lorger]

Checked the van after work and battery sitting at 13.3v not on ehu, I will test it tomorrow or Sunday. Another issue has arisen and not sure if it’s connected to this one, we we’re taking the van a run today to pick up our new bikes, I started it up and tyre pressure light came on. Checked the front two with my plug in compressor and all ok, had to do back ones at petrol station as couldn’t reach. PS compressor is max rated to min tyre pressure, checked them anyway and all fine. While driving to PS I noticed my digital mileage was flashing, after blowing up tyres went a drive to see if alarm would clear, it’s still on and mileage is still flashing.
Any ideas?
It’s a Fiat ducato 2020 model.

 

[lorger]

Ok I’ve had a play and no further forward or maybe I am Checked the battery while it was disconnected and got 12v, I’m assuming that’s ok, while the solar was covered I tested the -/+ battery terminals at the Victron solar control and it was reading 12v. Also did the same for the PV and load, PV was 12v and load was .5 which I’d expect as nothing on. I then checked the Knaus control panel -/+ and only showed 9.4v, once everything was back to normal the screen is showing 14.4 as is the Victron, my thinking is this panel could be faulty which is then telling the ALDE system to shutdown as battery is low.
Any other suggestions welcome.

 

[lorger]

I’ve had another look this morning and control panel is dead again and ALDE panel has low battery alarm, it looks like it’s working while in charge via solar or ehu but when no charge (overnight) it dips below the warning volts.

 

[autorouter]

So as I said, the first thing to find out is if the battery really has a low voltage, or is it just a bad connection somewhere that makes the things connected to the battery think there is a low voltage. What is the voltage, at the battery terminals, when there's no solar, and when there is solar?

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[lorger]

So as I said, the first thing to find out is if the battery really has a low voltage, or is it just a bad connection somewhere that makes the things connected to the battery think there is a low voltage. What is the voltage, at the battery terminals, when there's no solar, and when there is solar?

With the battery disconnect it’s reading 12v on multi meter, when solar is connected the battery is reading 14v on the Bluetooth Victron app.

If had another thought which probably has nothing to do with it but may as well ask, I noticed the other day my alarm was working on one of the garage door, I contacted eddievanbitz and Ash kindly sent me a replacement which I’ll fit today. Would that do anything to the battery?

 

[eddie]

With the battery disconnect it’s reading 12v on multi meter, when solar is connected the battery is reading 14v on the Bluetooth Victron app.

If had another thought which probably has nothing to do with it but may as well ask, I noticed the other day my alarm was working on one of the garage door, I contacted eddievanbitz and Ash kindly sent me a replacement which I’ll fit today. Would that do anything to the battery?

No, it’s a normally closed circuit to negative wouldnt affect the battery

 

[lorger]

No, it’s a normally closed circuit to negative wouldnt affect the battery

Cheers Eddie, didn’t think it would be. Just so you know I fitted the new contact and alarm is working fine again.
Many thanks to Ash for the quick service.